And Now, for my Next Act…
After editor-in-chief Dana Robbins unleashed "The Revolution" at The Hamilton Spectator, readership numbers went up. While the Canadian Journalism Foundation recognized the effort, the newspaper industry as a whole hasn't
Dana Robbins can’t sleep. The Hamilton Spectator‘s editor-in-chief is worried and excited about how readers will respond to the changes that will appear in the next morning’s paper. Actually, he hasn’t been trying all that hard to sleep. He just got home half an hour ago – at 3 A.M. – because he chose to […]
The Pope of CBC
Senior personnel say manager of special events and elections David Knapp is one of their key journalists. Yet, as he celebrates his fortieth year at the Corp, he's virtually unknown outside public broadcaster circles
Two colour photographs hang on the wall of a nondescript office on the fifth floor of CBC headquarters in downtown Toronto. Each picture features the same subjects – David Knapp shaking hands with Pope John Paul II – captured at specific moments in time, eighteen years apart. As CBC manager of special events and elections, […]
Fear of Publishing
Fallout from Muslim reaction to Jyllands-Posten caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed has led to contentious debate in Canada on what constitutes freedom of speech in the West
When cartoons ignite worldwide protests, resulting in torched embassies and many deaths, the decision to reprint is easy. Many outlets believe in freedom of speech and providing readers with context, but few in Canada have actually run the cartoons. Western Standard magazine and The Jewish Free Press, both based in Calgary, are two that did, […]
Causalities of War
Journalists used to be seen as neutral, but now they're ransom bait, bargaining chips or the outright enemy. Last year was the worst on record for correspondents getting killed on the job—and in 2006, the trend continues
On February 23, the bodies of correspondent Atwar Bahjat, cameraman Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi and engineer Adnan Khairallah were found near Samarra, Iraq. Bahjat was a correspondent for Al-Arabiya, while al-Falahi and Khairallah were employees of Wasan Productions on assignment for Al-Arabiya. The Wasan crew was covering the bombing of a Shiite shrine near Samarra, Iraq, […]
Shooting the Messenger
Worried about press freedoms in Canada? Try reporting the news in Zimbabwe
My excitement about giving a presentation on the state of Canadian media to a bunch of European journalism students cooled when I discovered I was to follow the reporter from Zimbabwe. All my criticisms of corporate concentration, CanWest Global Communications Inc., the public relations industry and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model of thought control in democratic societies […]
Celebrity Takeover
Advice columns from the rich and famous, memoirs from the stars who've been there—now celebrities are moonlighting as journalists. Meanwhile, editors have decided it's worth it to coddle their popular, but fledgling talent
“Sex does not a relationship make,” Jann Arden advises. “Dating is a tool used to weed out the wackos.” The question “So Confused” had asked Arden was whether she ought to stop looking around, now that she and her date had slept together. In the December 2005 issue of Elle Canada, the advice columnist finished […]
The Fruits of Victory
The federal government's charitable status grant finally came through and helped a limping Walrus to stand on its own two feet. Now Canada's biggest general-interest mammal has to take its act out on the road
Harper’s and Mother Jones have a lot in common with The Walrus. They’re idea-based magazines that have changed their business structures from non-profit organizations to foundations. They rely on charitable status for survival. Except, being Canadian-based, the Walrus had to jump over a few extra barriers to achieve its goal – barriers it may have […]
Digging a Bigger Poll
A lot of people think polls bury the issues and reduce elections to horse races. So what did Canadian media do for the 2006 general election? They stepped up the number and frequency of polls
“You have to look at polls not as a neutral, transparent measuring instrument,” says Bob Hanke, peering through his red-framed glasses. “They’re shaped by journalists who think that knowing who’s ahead and who’s going to win – the whole emphasis on prediction – is more important than actually describing what you or I think or […]
